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By Roy Hakala DDS on Jul 9, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.

Jason Lewis continues to send out newsletters which totally misrepresent his actions as our representative in the U.S. House.

Lewis claims that the new tax law for which he voted has already lowered taxes for Minnesotans, but this simply is not true. It increased the standard deductions but eliminated many other deductions including real estate and local and state taxes. The tax bill that Lewis voted for effectively creates double taxationbut not for corporations, who will be allowed to continue the deductions now denied to individual taxpayers.

He claims the new tax laws revision to the 529 rule is good for Minnesotans. The 529 rule change provides a tax benefit for parents sending their children to a private elementary or high school but does nothing for public education or for parents who cannot afford private schools for their children. In fact, it encourages children of parents with means to abandon public education.

Soon after Lewis touted tax bill was passed, it became clear that over a million middle income Minnesotans would have to pay higher taxes. The Minnesota legislature set about compensating for this, a task that is not done yet, and one that will have to be done at the expense of other Minnesota taxpayers.

Lewis claims that the child care tax credit was increased. He failed to mention that the greatest increase in this benefit goes to people with higher wages and provides maximal benefits to people earning $200,000 per year. Minimum wage and low-income workers get nothing.

Another Lewis newsletter proclaims himself to be in favor of the environment and Minnesota tourism because he voted to connect some of the bike trails in the state. The fact is that he also sponsored legislation to allow Twin Metals, a foreign company, to start sulfide mining (read "sulfuric acid in the water") in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness watershed, and to do so without review under current environmental protection laws.

Lewis clearly is no friend of middle-class Minnesotans, nor of the environment. It is no wonder he kept his town hall meetings nearly secret, and limited attendance to them. But he is an excellent friend to billionaires and foreign interests who would strip our irreplaceable natural resources and decimate the northern Minnesota tourist industry. Please remember this in the elections this fall. We have a excellent alternative in Angie Craig. Please vote for Ms. Craig in November. Lets get Lewis out of office before he can do still more damage to our state and countryand replace him with someone who did not make a living out of insulting others on the radio!